The crash of the passenger plane near Moscow could be related to the incorrect data on the flight’s speed due to the sensors’ ice-up, the Interstate Aviation Committee said on Tuesday, after deciphering the flight data recorder.

"A preliminary analysis of registered information, and also the analysis of similar cases that occurred in the past suggest that a special situation could have developed in mid-air due to the incorrect data on the flight’s speed on the pilots’ displays, which, in turn, could have been linked with the ice-up of the total pressure probes as their heating systems were switched off," the Interstate Aviation Committee said.

"During all the other flights registered on the flight recorder [15 more flights], the heating of the total pressure probes was switched on before the takeoff in the line-up position," the Interstate Aviation Committee said in its report.

An emergency situation developed aboard the crashed An-148 passenger plane about 2.5 minutes after the take-off, the Interstate Aviation Committee also said.

"A special situation began to develop about 2 minutes and 30 seconds after the takeoff at an altitude of around 1,300 meters and the indicator speed of 465-470 km/h," the Interstate Aviation Committee said.

At this moment, the passenger plane’s flight recorders registered divergences between the readings of the speed sensors, it said.